This invention relates to electrical connectors specifically designed for assembly and dis-assembly by remotely controlled manipulators adapted to grasp one of the connector units and bring the same into proper axial and circumferential alignment and full interconnection with another connector unit generally mounted on a stationary wall. A common form of such a manipulator comprises a pair of confronting grasping jaws carried on the end of a lever system duplicating most of the main parts and motions of a human arm. Such manipulators are required, for example, in handling various articles, including electrical connectors in nuclear power plants and the like, where dangerous radiation conditions require the use of remotely controlled manipulators.
Due to the control and inertial problems of such remotely controlled manipulators, it was heretofore not uncommon for the operator to have great difficulty in using such manipulators to bring the connector units into telescoping relation with a sufficiently close axial and circumferential angular alignment to avoid damaging the connectors. Thus, even a small misalignment in the axial or circumferential angular alignment of the connector units as they are forced together by a manipulator caused substantial damage to the connector units. While the operator usually had television or telescopic visual aids in directing the manipulator arm carrying the movable connector unit, such aids were frequently inadequate to attain the desired degree of alignment to avoid damage, for example, to misaligned plug terminals pushed against the edges or other abutments adjacent to the associated socket terminals of a female connector unit.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly specifically designed for use with remotely controlled manipulators which make it an easy matter for the operator to effect a properly aligned telescopic engagement of male and female electrical connector units as the movable one of the connector units is grasped by the jaws of a remotely controlled manipulator and brought into telescoping relation with a mating connector unit. A related object of the invention is to provide a connector assembly as described with unique guiding means for insuring proper axial and circumferential, angular alignment as the movable connector unit is moved into position contiguous to a stationary connector unit, even when the connector units are substantially misaligned axially and circumferentially when they are first brought into engagement with one another.
The design of electrical connectors heretofore utilized in environments requiring the use of remotely controlled manipulators is such that it was frequently difficult to make the position adjustments of the manipulator arm necessary to gain access to or bring the movable connector unit carried thereby into proper axial and/or circumferential angular alignment with a stationary connector unit because of the limited number of directions of access to the movable or stationary connector units caused by obstructing objects adjacent to the connector unit.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide electrical connectors designed so that remotely controlled manipulators can gain easy access to or bring the movable connector unit carried thereby into proper axial and/or circumferential angular alignment with a stationary connector unit even when there are a limited number of directions of access to the movable or stationary connector units.
Still another object of the invention is to provide manipulator attachable connector units designed so that an operator at a remote point can readily determine when the telescoping male and female connector units have been brought into their fully telescoped position where contact resistance between the connectors is at a minimum and the holding force therebetween is at a maximum.
An overall object of the invention is to provide manipulator attachable connector units satisfying one or more and preferably all of the objectives just described and which are rugged and reliable in operation.